As interest in graphene and related materials continues to grow the need for conferences which encourage the sharing of ideas at the highest level has never been greater. Graphene Week is the largest annual event organised by the EC’s Graphene Flagship in a packed calendar of events aimed at educating students (Graphene Study), connecting industry and academia (Graphene Connect) and even bringing graphene and related materials to a much wider audience (such as the
Graphene Experience Zone at the Mobile World Congress). To give a flavour of the truly international nature of the research within the community each year the Graphene Flagship solicits bids from its partners to host Graphene Week. This year Graphene Week will be held in the Greek Capital city Athens, hosted by FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas) and it promises to be the most exciting conference yet.

“Graphene Week is the Graphene Flagship’s premier annual conference, an occasion where hundreds of academic and industrial researchers come together to exchange ideas and get inspiration across the entire Flagship. This is where you can meet everyone, discuss your latest results and form new collaborations. As a leading international conference, it is also a place for Flagship researchers to interact with colleagues from all over the world. The Graphene Week conference is a crucial element in the Flagship’s goal to create new technologies based on graphene and related materials.” says Jari Kinaret, the Director of the Graphene Flagship.

On Monday 25 September Graphene Week will be opened by prominent guests such as Costas Fotakis, Greek Minister for Research and Innovation and Thomas Skordas, Director for Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure at the European Commission.

Showcasing state-of-the-art research, the packed programme of invited speakers, plenary sessions and oral presentations, along with many fringe sessions which include the Innovation Forum, Women in Graphene and the important poster sessions and exhibition is all set against a backdrop of the Acropolis in Athens, one of the oldest cities on earth. Held in the Divani Caravel Hotel both the scientific content and the location of Graphene Week 2017 are set to be fantastic.

Costas Galiotis, of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Greece, is the Graphene Week 2017 Conference Chair. “The best thing about Graphene Week will be the diversity of topics and applications to be presented in oral and poster sessions. Indeed, the amazing properties of graphene and related materials are still being studied and new findings emerge constantly.”

Innovation is a theme running all throughout Graphene Week 2017 which sees the return of the popular Innovation Forum fringe sessions with its focus on different aspects of graphene innovation including Industrialisation, the GRM roadmap and Commercialisation. The Graphene Connect aims at developing links between the two worlds of graphene materials and devices.

“The Innovation Forum helps us to boost the innovation activities within the Graphene Flagship by adding industry views to discussions” said Dr Kari Hjelt, Head of Innovation for the Graphene Flagship “The Graphene Connect creates a platform for industry and academia to meet and share their latest graphene and related materials research, gives an insight to industry demands and helps participants find collaboration partners for new projects.”

Galiotis added “We are looking forward to welcoming Graphene Week to the city of Athens, where ancient technology, art and culture meet the science and technology of the 21st century.”